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The Hues of a Kitchen
October 16, 2023
Colour expert Dr. Hildegard Kalthegener expects to see a change in colour uniformity that will be filled by other shades that permit new, unexpected combinations
A kitchen today can be colourful, keeping with the mood of chirpiness needed in the space where it exists- whether a home or a thriving restaurant. In commercial spaces like restaurants' kitchens, the new thinking goes beyond the staid white, cream or grey. The idea today is to make the kitchen a happy workplace that is vibrant and not underplayed and boring like the hospital room of yore.
In current times and in the latter day sensibility, first indications reveal designers ‘preferences for colours that will immerse interiors in a new light in the near future. With accents ranging from watermelon through flamingo and golden yellow through sand, the coming season promises vibrantly coloured impressions.
Colours Unlimited by Trends
Anyone looking for the next trend colour already has it wrong, because no colour ever stands alone. It always exists within the context of other colours (new and pre-existing) and materials. Now more than ever, there is likely to be a shift in the range of dark tones, among other changes.
The colour consultant primarily assesses which colour shades will remain relevant. Because blue, already in frequent use, is a cooler colour, it combines well with warm wood tones. Warm-toned wood has always been important in the furniture world, and it will stay that way. But the ’coffee wave’ of recent years has run through every possible shade of brown from cappuccino to latte macchiato, which includes all colours between chocolate and coffee. One can expect a clear shift there.
Dark green may establish itself as a new hue that, from pine through greenish black, brings a warmer alternative into play and opens the door for entirely new colour harmonies.
Portents of Coming Influences
In order to provide spaces with depth and furniture with expression, warm brown, which has been dominant for so long, will gradually be replaced by darker and cooler blue tones and by dark grey, which will continue to be well represented in nuances from slate through graphite and asphalt through concrete.
Another option for an expressive background is black, which was already going strong internationally as a trend colour. Dark green may establish itself as a new hue that, from pine through greenish black, brings a warmer alternative into play and opens the door for entirely new colour harmonies.
An ambience of harmonious colours requires an even balance between bright and chromatic, warm and cold, neutral nuances and accent hues.
Dark colours that will continue to be used over large surfaces need brightening contrasts. We’ve already had yellowish green colours like lime and lemongrass for ten years now. These colours were often combined with tones from the red spectrum, like fuchsia. Now they seem too commercial, especially for discerning tastes. These tones and colour combinations are currently moving more towards yellow, which is the perfect contrast to dark grey.
Oak will remain as a wood colour at the middle of the spectrum, frequently also appearing in bleached tones. Photo Courtesy: Kham Consultants
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Sunny Side Up
Not all yellows are alike. The yellow palette of the coming season ranges from a bright interpretation of ochre – a warm, sunny sand yellow that is expected to become very popular – to bold lemon and limelight.
Most colour consultants and keen designers see particularly great potential in the nuances of ochre and gold. This potential is reflected in the rediscovery of brass as a trend material: it is already appearing in many fixtures and equipment as an alternative to copper, which has virtually overrun the furniture world in the past three years and will remain relevant in the form of a rusty colour variant. At design expos, both metals and metal tones are more than likely being on show at the same time.
The current sand yellow makes clear how strongly the impact of colours is influenced by the tones and materials that accompany them. Set against black, sand yellow appears almost pastel; against white, it seems vibrant and bold. On a sheet of white paper, the sunny ochre has a strong impact, whilst it has a delicate, organically brightening effect on oak shades. Although ochre is a rather traditional colour – one of the oldest pigments to be used in human history – it is also well-suited to modern living environments and can be used to provide accents or to cover large surfaces.
Most colour consultants and keen designers see particularly great potential in the nuances of ochre and gold. This potential is reflected in the rediscovery of brass as a trend material.
Blacks and Reds
As another contrasting color to the dark spectrum consisting of black, dark grey dark blue and dark green, vivid blues remain current. In addition to teal, which is already in relatively wide use, bright variants from aqua-mint to Caribbean turquoise are appearing with increasing frequency. They harmonize perfectly with pine or dark grey, even in combination with bold yellow accents.
The third contrasting colour of the current trend imposes a shift of emphasis on the colour spectrum: the colour expert sees a clear shift in the red colour spectrum from fuchsia and violet hues towards a restrained orange-red. The nuances fall “somewhere between red and copper and are reminiscent of raspberries, sliced watermelons – or, in a somewhat softer variant, of flamingos’.
Watermelon is particularly suited as a good companion to dark green, but also to colours that are already well established, like dark blue or teal. New contrast colours like these – the use of which does, however, require some courage – could also catch on quickly as colours for accessories to the concepts already in place.
Whilst one contrast colour – watermelon – has evolved out of the copper material trend, sand yellow is bringing brass back again.
"The five current colours i.e. pine, sand, aqua, lemon and watermelon should not be mixed at random, as though on a palette; their use should be deliberate and carefully proportioned. It is necessary to decide between turquoise/aqua and watermelon as an accent colour. This allows for atmospheric colour arrangements with long-lasting appeal."
Dr. Hildegard Kalthegener
Colour Paring
Colour experts recommend colour schemes which pair a dark shade (dark blue, dark grey, dark green) with one or two contrast colours from the current yellow or blue spectrum (such as sand yellow, lemon and/or aqua-mint) or with the contrast colours sand yellow and watermelon.
One can see the pairing of pine and watermelon with bleached blonde oak as a bold, but very beautiful color combination. On the other hand, a combination of all three of the current contrast colours – limelight, aqua-mint and watermelon – can quickly become gaudy and busy.
The most important question is not which colour is now the dominant one. They all have their own time and place. It is more relevant to consider which shade will be suitable in the long term for a home and, most importantly, with which environment, interior, and target audience it is the best fit.
Manufacturers Play both Safe and Adventurous
For manufacturers, especially of wall paints, laminates or countertops, the choice of colour within each product category is significant. The only remaining question is that of wood trends. Oak would actually suit the dark shades perfectly, but it has already been the standard type of wood for years. If white has already lost its position as the dominant achromatic tone to black and combinations of black and white, should parquet layers and fans of solid wood expect oak to be downgraded as well?
There is an “all-clear" in this respect: oak will remain as a wood colour at the middle of the spectrum, frequently also appearing in bleached tones. That is precisely what is sought after as an alternative to wood in very dark, coffee-brown shades as well as to the lightness of Scandinavian blonde wood: wood of medium brightness, in colours that fall somewhere between honey and cognac. Wood of this kind pairs well with the new sandy hues and vibrant, eye-catching colours in particular, though also with dark background colours.
Where until recently neutral, soft colours and unobtrusive materials were called for, a trend in kitchen design can now be seen towards personalization with a variety of materials and new colours. Photo Courtesy: GA Design
Discretion and Choice Remain the Key
The five current colours i.e. pine, sand, aqua, lemon and watermelon should not be mixed at random, as though on a palette; their use should be deliberate and carefully proportioned. It is necessary to decide between turquoise/aqua and watermelon as an accent colour. This allows for atmospheric colour arrangements with long-lasting appeal.
After all: who would see a combination of pine-needle green with nuances of sunny sand and aqua and not think immediately of the Caribbean or a walk down to the beach?
Where until recently neutral, soft colours and unobtrusive materials were called for, a trend in kitchen design can now be seen towards personalization with a variety of materials and new colours.
Whether in a high-gloss or ultra-trendy matt finish, grey is still a popular base colour and it is seemingly endlessly variable. Neutral tones like grey also reveal their particular strengths in conjunction with bold colour accents that seem to glow as a result.
Whether homely, dark walnut wood next to a sunny yellow ceramic sink, or a cool concrete countertop: in today’s kitchens, the leading principle is that anything goes! And thanks to the ever-growing range of products from the manufacturers, design options in the kitchen are almost limitless.
[The article was published in the January-February 2017 issue of Kitchen Ideas magazine.]
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